Intertwined Fates
by oihermione
Summary: On the same night that the Dark Lord commands Severus Snape to kill Hermione Granger, Hermione Granger is taken and asked to bring Severus Snape to his death by an unknown witch. How will Dumbledore use this to his advantage this time? *Post OotP, set in HBP, but I'll probably use some ideas from the last two books.
1. Chapter 1: The Demands

**Chapter 1: The Demands**

Severus Snape felt strange in the building, it was seemingly familiar to something from his childhood that he had long repressed. His Death Eater robes seemed unusually tight on his underclothes as he clicked down the hallway. This was the first summons he had received in over a month, for once he had felt well fed. That would likely change after tonight.

Snape was able to garner a glimpse of the windows outside. The glass was carved, though you could not see much in the squares. Tiny vines grew in at the corners and he thought about what the old building looked like before _this _happened.

He heard voices, and he knew that they were the ones he was in this wretched place for, as he got closer, the voices became clearer and recognizable. He sneered in response to his thoughts. He hated doing this.

Turning on his heel, he came down another hallway. He looked at the walls again and observed a very faint-colored poster with the words '_BE SAFE, DON'T BE LATE' _along with a cartoon of a little boy on it. This was certainly a muggle school, as a magical school would _never _put anything this obscene up on their walls.

Snape entered a dark, candlelit room. Fellow Death Eaters, dressed in their traditional robes and hoods were standing together, their arms folded in. As he advanced to the inner circle, one Death Eater lifted their head. _Bellatrix Lestrange_. She cooed at him, most infuriatingly.

"Well, isn't it Severus Snape, Dumbledore's little stooge?" Though she smiled when saying this, he could see her biting her tongue at him with her insane eyes shooting at him with intense distrust.

His snarl returned, as he shot back, "Lestrange."

"Not got any fire left in you?" she spat at him.

"Lestrange, I would ask you to stop talking," he said coldly.

"You would?" Bellatrix went to put a finger under his chin when he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Her eyes showed a brief flicker of fear.

His eyes wide and brows raised. "Lestrange," he whispered, "I'd advise you not to lay a hand on me unless our master so commands it.". Bellatrix was attempting to retrieve her wrist from his grasp, pulling and wriggling. Deciding he was finished toying with her, he released his vice-like grip on her.

Suddenly, he could feel the cold air enter the room, the hair raised on the back of his neck, sending chills down his spine.

Voldemort had appeared from a back room with Pettigrew at his side, gazing at his followers.

"My Death Eaters... I am pleased to see those who have been able to do my bidding undetected are faithful in your arrival here." His eyes lingered on the empty spots in the circle, particularly at Lucius'. Taking a step forward, Severus realized he was now making eye contact with him, and as always he doubled down on his mental barriers.

"Severus... I have something for you, a gift of sorts, I'm sure you'll find it an enjoyable task." Voldemort backed away from Snape and circled around the Death Eaters slowly.

"Will he finally be tasked to kill Dumbledore, my Lord?" Bellatrix called out. Severus was nervous of this very request, he had been expecting it for some time, as had Dumbledore, especially after their duel at the ministry.

Voldemort pointed his wand at her back, "Crucio." She fell to the ground with a shriek of pain.

"No, my dear Bellatrix. Do not speak out of turn again. He is being tasked to kill someone else... Someone that should not prove much difficulty, but should provide enjoyment all the same."

"I live to serve, my Lord." Snape bowed his head slightly as he awaited the blasted name that he would be required to murder, assuming Dumbledore would still find it in their 'best interests' to have Snape murder rather than accept punishment from Voldemort, as per usual. _It is for the greater good Severus, _as he always liked to put it... _Not any consideration for my soul, not that I feel much there anymore._

Voldemort was behind him, he felt him, felt the air change around him. He leaned closely into Snape's ear from behind.

"Hermione Granger," Voldemort said softly. Snape did not show any emotion on his face, and he nodded solemnly in response.

* * *

As Hermione flipped over in her bed, she groaned at her stomach's sudden unease. Slowly, she shifted upwards and let her clouded thoughts gather in her restless state. _It wasn't a dream that woke me... I think... more like a sense of foreboding dread... maybe. I'm being silly. You should go back to bed, Hermione._

She began to slide back into the bed when a sudden crack in the room caused her to sit bolt upright, grabbing her wand from the bedside table on instinct. _That was the crack of someone apparating..._

Through the darkness, she sensed that she was being watched, truly thankful her parents were out of town on a retreat their dentistry practice was hosting. Keeping her wand pointed in the darkness, she nonverbally cast Lumos across the room. Initially, she did not see any difference in her usual surroundings. When quite suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she saw a small pale figure slump over and hit the ground with a deafening thud.

It was a house elf, but one in the worst condition. She could see dark blood coming from cuts all about its body. Leaping into action, she jumped out of bed and knelt in front of the elf.

"Can you hear me? Are you okay?!"

The elf groaned words she could not decipher in response, she began to wave her wand about its body to diagnose the creature. _Lucky I've been practicing these spells this summer... _Words began to appear in front of her in a glowing yellow font. Her results revealed that the elf was female and was suffering heavily to internal damage. Hermione was incensed at who could possibly hurt an elf to this extent, they were known for being quite able to take even the worst of beatings, but this was beyond anything she had read or heard of.

After she finished her reading of the results of her diagnostic charm, she grabbed one of her pillows, lifted the elf's head and let it rest upon it. She began all the healing charms she had practiced or even read of to attempt and ease the trauma done upon the elf.

As the last of the wounds closed, she heard the elf muttering something that sounded like, "No, no, Zolly will not... Zolly cannot..."

Hermione could not keep herself from speaking aloud, "Zolly? Is that your name?"

At her words, the elf's eyes shot open, the elf began to shriek in terror upon laying eyes on Hermione, twisting in her place on the floor, grabbing the pillow beneath her head and muffling her mouth. It seemed as though she was attempting to suffocate herself.

"Please! Stop! I've healed the worst of your wounds, do you need me to send a patronus to someone? Professor Dumbledore or...?" Hermione reached to yank the pillow out of the grasp of the elf, but she was holding it tightly. Gripping her wand, she pointed it at the pillow and vanished it.

Zolly was shaking but did not attempt to grab another object to harm herself.

"Zolly is not used to answering to two masters with such different views... but she... she is of the family... I..."

Hermione was quite puzzled for a moment when suddenly the elf lunged forward and grabbed her by the arm. Before Hermione could scream, she felt a pull and she was suddenly disappearing from her room.

Landing in a heap on unfamiliar tile, she pulled herself up quickly, holding her wand up. As quickly as she stood, it was just as quick that she was disarmed. She could not see her assailant immediately but heard snickering come from a corner behind her. Whipping around, she did not recognize the face of the woman standing, hidden in part by the shadows of the room.

Hermione's thoughts were in a whirl. _This must be a Death Eater trap... I knew it was always a possibility but... _Steeling herself before she spoke in response to the woman's laugh, she stood up straight, staring into the eyes of her captor.

"If it's information about Harry or the Order you're looking for, I'm afraid you'll just have to kill me."

The woman laughed again. It was not a cold or emotionless laugh like those she had heard from Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries last year... She also noticed the woman's attire was mostly muggle clothing. A follower of Voldemort would never have been caught alive or dead in muggle clothing.

"Relax my dear, I am not going to hurt you. I needed you alone. I cannot reveal my identity yet, though I'm sure you'll find out in time." She was smiling, slightly more kindly now, with less of a joking expression on her face.

Hermione snarled in response, "I apologize if I do not take kindly to someone who had me kidnapped in the middle of the night from my bed."

"Kidnapped is a bit of an overstatement, you aren't really a kid, are you Hermione Granger? I believe I was under the impression you were nearing 18 now. That's even an adult in the muggle world if I'm not mistaken. Therefore, you are allowed extra privileges at Hogwarts that you may be unaware of."

Hermione steeled herself for what could possibly come next.

"I do plan on returning you home before the night is up. I only have a... request to make of you. As you will be in Hogwarts and have been rumored to be the brightest of your year, I believe you are capable of a problem I need taking care of, one I have had since my youth."

Confused, as the women sounded sincere in her statement of returning her, and she truly just wanted to get back home alive, she decided then that she would agree to whatever request, as long as it meant she would be returned. She nodded at the woman, resolving to hold her tongue as long as possible.

"You see, my entire family was murdered when I was a little girl by Death Eaters. There were multiple in my house that night as I hid in my closet, but only one who I heard addressed by name and recognized the voice of. Can you think of anyone at your school that I may be speaking of, hm?" She gave her a smug look, as though she was curious if Hermione was aware there was a Death Eater in employ at Hogwarts. Hermione chose to keep her knowledge in check at this moment, knowing it could be a breach in the safety of their only double agent.

"Severus Snape is responsible for the death of my family, and I will have my family avenged in the form of his being brought to me by yourself."

At this, Hermione gaped at her, preparing herself to comment because doing this would have to be impossible, "Er- I don't think-" and then she was cut off again by the woman's rambling. She seemed to be lost in this plan of hers to even notice that Hermione had tried to speak.

"I would have had him brought here in the same method that you were, but sending house elves to the castle that are not employed by Dumbledore is quite difficult, if not impossible. I would also rather Snape be... indisposed... once he has arrived, to make my time with him a bit easier."

She had to be heard now, what on earth made this woman think she was capable of bringing her an incapacitated Professor Snape... Speaking loudly enough, hoping to snap the woman out of her trance, "I am sorry, and I mean truly sorry about your family, but I do not understand how you could expect me, a student, to... to attack a professor at my school, without getting caught or expelled! Especially Professor Snape... It's just outrageous. I'm only nearly 18, I have no idea how I would even begin to attack a professor, especially on school grounds!"

The woman was giving an even more smug look now. "You must be forgetting, Hermione Granger, that you attacked Snape your third year at Hogwarts and that is on record at the ministry, as well as you facing multiple Death Eaters just last year at the ministry. You also nearly led a professor to her death in the forbidden forest last year when she was attacked by centaurs. Are you truly not capable of manipulating a situation where you can bring Snape to me for killing my entire family?"

Hermione snapped her mouth shut at once._ I never considered my past in this light but the woman was right, I probably could do what she was asking... But no, Snape is on our side. Dumbledore said he was on our side, even if he has killed in the past the Order needs him._

She couldn't attempt to get him killed for this woman's sake. Perhaps she should just agree to it and go tell Professor Dumbledore immediately... "I see what you're saying... but... I always had my friends with me during everything. And... well, is there any way I can have proof of what you are saying is true? Professor Snape may be quite mean at times, but I just want evidence before I can agree to bring him to whatever you have planned for him." Crossing her fingers behind her back, in hopes that it was convincing enough of a response.

The woman rolled her eyes. "I expect you are planning on who to tell once you are home. I will only release you if you make a vow, no not an unbreakable one, just one that will ensure that if you break this trust I am giving to you, I will know immediately and you will be summoned back to me. I will leave you with proof, however, in the form of my own memories of that night. You can watch them once you are home, I will gift you with a small pensieve from my family collection."

Hermione nodded slowly. _So if I tell anyone, I will be brought back here... and perhaps killed._

"Excellent! I'll just need your wand arm then." She pulled out her wand again and whispered an incantation that sounded like '_Celare celatum'_. She had a cold feeling spread throughout her body, and then a blazing one immediately after, the woman put her wand away and gripped Hermione's forearm tightly with her wand arm. "Repeat after me, Hermione Granger." Hermione stared at the woman, eyes wide, waiting. "I will not speak a word of what I have learned here today to any other human," she paused before adding, "... or creature."

She then released her arm and backed away. "There, that wasn't so difficult? It works similar to a trace, you tell anyone and I will know and you will be summoned here. Now, I think it's time we get you home, if you have any questions, an owl can find my elf. Zolly!" The elf appeared, cowering slightly, "Take Ms. Granger home before anyone notices something amiss." Before the elf stepped forward, she had a vial shoved into her hand by the woman. "Take care and good luck, Hermione Granger."

The elf grabbed her arm and she was whisked away again.

* * *

He kicked a table in Dumbledore's study after recounting the events of the night's Death Eater gathering... "Of all the blasted people, Granger..." He threw himself in a chair, running his hands through his hair, it was a frequent habit outside of the view of others, but the stress of potentially killing a student was enabling him to do it in front of Dumbledore. "Albus you can't possibly expect me to kill a student." He gazed up at him, almost pleadingly for once.

Albus sat across from him as well, he had been pacing the entire time Severus had told his story. Pausing longer than he felt that the old man should have, at length, he finally spoke, "No Severus, I do not think you will need to. I believe there are other ways you will be able to sate his bloodlust, but for now, let him think you are plotting this. Truly, I am surprised at the specific target he has chosen for you. She is quite well guarded, so well guarded that I am actually in need of you to check on that particular student now. She seemed to have disappeared from her muggle home with a house elf, but returned an hour later."

Groaning, "Albus, would it shock you if it was merely a house elf from another Hogwarts student taking her to see them or some other teenage ordeal? I do not see why it merits a visit in the middle of the night."

"Perhaps Severus, but your mentioning of Voldemort's interest in her I think deem it significant enough to at least check." He twinkled at him, infuriatingly.

* * *

Appearing in her room, the house elf disapparated as quickly as she had returned her. She looked down at the vial she was holding, it was glowing blue, it was quite pretty to watch move up and down in the vial. It reminded her of the prophecies she had seen at the Department of Mysteries. There was also something new in her bedroom, a small pensieve was sitting on a metal stand in front of her bed. _I've read about pensieves, but I've never actually used one..._

She pulled out her wand and conjured herself a stand for the vial, setting it there. Pacing her room to consider the events of tonight, she pondered the method of pulling memories out of one's mind...

Summoning a book she knew might contain the explanation, she sat and began to flip through it. Finally finding the entry on pulling memories, she read vigorously. _A nonverbal spell, with intense focus on the thought itself. This says that only those who understand the concepts of legilimency and occlumency are able to pull memories... Good thing I did my research when Professor Snape was trying to teach Harry last year. _She kept the book open on the page and conjured another vial. Contemplating for some time on whether or not she wanted to risk this, she eventually convinced herself that the positives outweigh the negatives. If she did not contain the memory now, she may forget significant details.

She cast the nonverbal spell with her wand facing herself and thought of all the events of the night that she wanted to contain in the memory. Putting her wand to her temple, she pulled it away slowly and saw a glowing blue strand, similar to the one the strange woman had given her. Once the strand was entirely out of her head and attached to her wand, she gently tapped it into the vial.

_That wasn't so difficult... _She sat the memory in the stand and picked the one from the woman back up.

Steeling herself, she walked forward, pulled the cork out of the vial and poured its contents into the pensieve... As she was leaning into the pensieve, she thought she heard a knock in the distance, but it was already too late, she was falling in...


	2. Chapter 2: Loopholes

**Chapter 2:** Loopholes

Severus Snape approached the residence cautiously, he despised returning to muggle neighborhoods, though this one was much nicer than the area he grew up in. Knocking on the door, he stood, hoping the young witch would answer rather than one of her muggle parents. He didn't like the idea of explaining the time of his visit, especially if she had left without their knowledge or permission. _Teenagers... _He rolled his eyes at himself. _I snuck out of my home as a teenager quite often as well though, muggle homes don't often give much room for magical growth._

Realizing he had been standing for some time, he knocked again, a bit louder this time. Perhaps he would need to wake the muggles here for anyone to answer. He stood a bit longer and looked around, there was no car in the drive. Possibly they had all left and the apparation wards being broken that Albus had recorded was the witch returning for something forgotten?

Assuming he ought to check to secure Albus' senses, he pulled out his wand. Unlocking the door easily, as Albus had let down the wards for his entrance, he stepped across the threshold. It was quiet... Assuming he was correct in no one being here, he nonverbally cast _homenum revelio._

_One person is in this house. _Gripping his wand tighter he kept it raised, prepared for any possibility. Walking around the downstairs, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. It was a muggle home with the usual sitting room, kitchen, dining area, and a small study. Approaching the stairs, he turned cautiously walking with his back to the wall, looking above himself for any sign of movement. There were three doors on this floor, all three were closed.

Gently pushing the one closest to him open, he saw it was a bedroom but completely empty. Glancing at the end of the hall, he noticed there was some light peeking from the space beneath the door. Walking as quietly as possible, he approached the door and attempted to open it, but it was locked, he then tried to unlock it with the simple alohomora, also futile. He tried a more complicated spell and the door clicked.

Pushing it open, the first thing he noticed was the small pensive setting in front of the bed. _Well, that explains why the witch didn't answer. _He considered waiting for her to emerge, but he was genuinely curious as to what an underage witch that is friends with Potter could be viewing in a pensieve, and he could easily explain his presence as Dumbledore's orders. He looked around again and noticed the other memory on the bedside table.

Raising a brow, he wondered if he should duplicate this if he believed she would not show him. _Likely she would let me see as her professor, she always has been an overachiever, I doubt she could say no. But... just to be safe..._

Sighing, he took the memory and pulled out a phial of his own and reached in his cloak's inside pocket to summon a few ingredients and his pestle. Grinding daisy root and foxglove, separated an equal amount for each phial.

He began the complicated spell that he had only used twice in the past to duplicate a memory. It involved a rather long enchantment with those few ingredients being placed in the phial that both the original and duplicated memory were contained in.

He carefully spliced the memory in Granger's phial in half, pulling the halved strand from her phial and inserted it into his own, corking it and slid it gently into his inside pocket. Returning her memory to its original spot, he turned back towards the pensieve.

_Now or never... _He leaned into the pensieve.

* * *

She was in a child's bedroom, it was quite large for a child but clearly had children's toys and a small bed in it. Turning around, she saw no one in the room. Hearing the commotion downstairs she began to head towards the door, but it suddenly slammed open, she let out a small scream and jumped backward, raising her wand, as if it could do anything in a memory.

Two masked death eaters looked around the room quickly and backed out, moving to the next room. She heard a child's scream, cringing, she began to cry as she saw the flash of green light in the hallway.

The two death eaters went back down the hall and sounded as though they were going down a set of stairs, when an unfamiliar voice yelled, "There is still another alive in this house." One of the death eaters on the staircase yelled back, "Not up here there isn't."

She heard a grunt and then another yell, "Tell Snape to go back and check again." A set of footsteps made its way back up the stairs slowly as the other continued down them. She assumed it was a younger Professor Snape that appeared at the door, looking around again. As he turned to leave, there was a creak behind her, turning she saw the closet door had moved slightly.

He whipped around quickly at the sound. She shuddered, the woman she had met tonight must be hiding somewhere in here. _Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to see this memory from in this room... _Looking back at her professor to see what he would do next, she saw him crease his brow at the room briefly before turning and walking out once more, she let out a gasp of air.

She had been holding her breath, terrified of her professor for the first time. In the past, she may have had some doubts about him but she had never thought he was capable of murdering children. Clearly she was wrong.

He went further up the hall, suddenly she heard a crash and then a flash of green light. She noticed as he walked back up the hall, he waved his wand towards the room she was standing in and the door slammed shut and glowed a bright gold color before returning to normal.

She heard him go quickly down the stairs and then another yell, "Good lad Snape, now finish up the rest of the house, will ya? We'll meet you back at Macnair's."

Walking towards the window to watch the Death Eaters exit the residence, she saw her Professor take off his mask after everyone else apparated away. He pointed his wand at the house, which suddenly burst into flames when she heard a noise behind her. She turned and realized there was a small girl around the age of 7 or 8 crawling out of the closet and running to stand next to her at the window.

But the young girl wasn't the only extra person in the room, her mouth dropped open at the sight of her correctly aged Professor, with his arms crossed, he seemed severely agitated but she could also see confusion etched on his face. He approached her slowly, "I think you've seen enough Miss Granger."

Before her Professor reached for her arm she peeled her eyes off of him and looked over at the young girl. The girl had clearly seen the young Professor Snape's face before he pointed his wand at the house, this time shouting the incantation that she knew produced the dark mark.

She felt a hand wrap around her forearm. Without another look at the house, the young Professor Snape put his wand in his pocket and apparated away, as she and the Professor Snape she knew, or thought she knew, were being whisked upward.

Her feet hit her bedroom floor and she looked up at her Professor who let go of her arm at once, she felt petrified. _What is he doing here?!_ She couldn't bring herself to speak so she tried standing a little straighter. There was no need in cowering at him, though she had clear evidence as to why she should be now.

He spoke first, "Explain." It was one word, coldly spoken. In that moment, she realized she could not tell him anything. Despite what she had seen, Professor Dumbledore still trusted him. Perhaps she should get the memory to him... _Yes, then he can decide what to do... _He would have to know who the memory was from, now he knows he let someone survive... Her mind was reeling as her professor spoke again, this time louder and angrier.

"Granger, I demand you tell me where you got this memory."

She backed away from him before speaking. "I- I can't tell you that Professor." Pausing, she decided she needed to stop acting like a child and met his eyes. "I can't tell you Professor, it's for the good of both of us, I swear."

"Stop being foolish, girl." He looked menacing but also seemed thrown off at her statement. "If you won't tell me where you got this memory, then do tell me where you decided to apparate off to tonight, as you are an underage witch that breaches the statute of secrecy and you could be expelled."

Looking at him quizzically for a moment, she decided to continue holding her ground despite the risk of causing him to explode at her, "I am not an underage witch and I think I will keep my travels to myself, thank you, sir."

She was right, he did look as though he would explode. "Last I checked, Granger, you are going into your 6th year. You are, at oldest, 16, and approaching 17 but not until school starts next month."

"You are correct sir, I technically would have been 17 next month, but in reality, I will be 18 soon due to some...er- well, time well spent, I suppose." She turned away from him and pulled out her wand to return the memory to the empty phial laying on her bed. Ignoring him, she corked the memory and walked past him to her desk with the other phial in its stand.

Setting the memory in it, she turned to face him again, "I suppose I can't expect any answers to questions since I am not answering any of yours, but I must state that I find it quite odd that a Professor is in my bedroom at," looking around to her clock on her desk, "nearly 2:00am. Actually, it's quite odd that a Professor is in my bedroom at all, sir."

At this point she expected him to be seething, but instead, he muttered quietly, "Professor Dumbledore sent me to check... I'll see to it that he knows you are quite alright."

He turned and walked out of her room without another word.

Surprised, she followed him, he had already reached the staircase when she spoke to him, "I truly can't tell you without risking both of our lives Professor."

He stopped for what may have been a second before continuing down the stairs and out the front door.

_That was... bizarre. _Professor Dumbledore likely had asked him to check on her, she did believe this, just the chance that it was him of all people had thrown her. She knew he was beyond peeved at her witnessing the memory, but he couldn't possibly explain his actions. Wondering for a moment if he would go back and tell Professor Dumbledore, she then wondered if she should?

He probably wouldn't, Professor Dumbledore couldn't know he had killed children in the past and still allow him to be in the Order, right? She resolved to owl him in the morning but put extra protection spells around her room and house before heading back to bed.

* * *

He had arrived back at Hogwarts, truly seething at this point now that he had time to process what he had seen. The Granger girl was obviously sticking her nose into his business, possibly at Potter's request because the boy did not trust him. Obviously, Potter was too thick to find anything on his own, so he asked his only friend that possessed _some _intelligence.

If she told Potter this news, perhaps she already had owled him, he knew it would put his cover at risk. Not only would the Order get wind of him appearing to kill children, but it risked his status as a Death Eaters because he had obviously let someone escape. He wondered if Granger had even noticed the protection spell he put on the bedroom to protect the child that he had obviously known was there.

_Likely she hadn't, too caught up in the evils that I commit._ He slammed his fist into the castle wall, the look on her face while in the pensieve made it obvious she was terrified of him, ignoring his own pain he looked at his now bloody fist. _Great. _Healing it took a little more time, he always tried to be extra careful with his hands when healing but they still were calloused and scarred.

Wondering what else the witch had uncovered, he rushed back to his own private quarters with the memory in hand, he knew, of course, Albus would want a report of her safety but he thought he should get an idea of what else the girl may know before reporting to him.

Throwing his cloak off, he went into his study that contained his own personal pensieve, one Albus had gifted him his first year teaching. Pouring the memory in, he wasted no time in throwing himself forward into the depths.

Emerging from his pensieve, he was in shock. He fell into his chair, caught somewhere between disgust and amusement. What were the odds that both the witch and himself would be ordered to essentially kill one another in the same night? Suddenly he wondered if the memory he had viewed had caused her to be taken back to the psychotic witch, he jumped to his feet and quickly flooed to Albus' office.

Albus was still awake, peering at him from his desk. "Ah, Severus, I was wondering what took you so lo-" Cutting him off, "Was Granger apparated from her home again?"

"What? No, my dear boy, there has not been any other disturbances that I have detected from the house, aside from your entering it." He looked concerned. "Severus, what has happened?"

"She was kidnapped from her bed and ordered to essentially kill me." He looked at the man, pissed at his lack of response, "Yes to kill me, Albus. A house elf came to her, took her back to some house, and it was by a witch whose family I helped murder years ago!" Throwing himself in the chair across Albus, knocking the chair next to him over in the process, he twitched some in anger and then his shoulders collapsed.

"I see... and you are quite sure this is not a scheme set on by Tom? It's rather odd that you would both be asked..." Before Albus could finish his sentence, he was on his feet again.

"YES I AM SURE!" Seething, he began pacing to calm himself down, knowing the old man would not react to his anger. He had been known to throw and destroy multiple things in this very spot.

"Do you recall which family it was, Severus?" The voice was too relaxed for his liking.

"What Albus? Which specific family I helped carry out the murder of?" He had his hands on the back of the chair, gripping tightly but looked down with his eyes closed.

Without much emotion in response, it was more matter-of-factly spoken, Albus said, "Yes Severus, which family."

He released the chair and turned around, this time pressing a finger and thumb to his face. "Yes, it was the Bones family." He turned to face the other man. "I left a child in the house, I could not bring myself to kill her. It was one of the first raids I was taken on before I came to you. I protected the bedroom she was in from being burned with the rest of the house. I had always assumed she made her way to a muggle household or something of the sort."

"I am proud of your compassion Severus, but I fear you may have created a complicated beast in the process."

"And you would have rather me murdered an innocent child?" He scoffed at the man, of course he would, the multiple murders Albus had been complacent in was all for the greater good, he supposed.

"No Severus, but think of where we are now. I will do some research. I cannot recall the name of Edgar Bones' daughters, though I do believe only one child's body was recovered. The aurors had recorded the other child's death, assuming the Death Eaters had taken her and disposed of her in some other way." Albus stood now, and came around his desk and grabbed his shoulder tightly.

"She does not know I am aware that she was kidnapped tonight, I discovered that on my own. It is likely she will try and warn you about my disloyalty or something of the sort after seeing the memory." Albus had seemed mildly surprised, Severus only took a moment to realize why. "No, Albus, I did not use legilimency on one of your precious Gryffindors. She had the memory of what happened to her that I duplicated while she was in the pensieve, she has taken the Celare Vow to not speak a word of what happened to anyone, else she will be summoned back to the woman. As she did not technically speak it to me, I believe she is safe."

"I see. Go and rest Severus, I will call on you tomorrow to discuss these unfolding events."

He nodded at him, unable to find the energy to argue, and then exited the office swiftly.

Severus walked down to his quarters, still pissed, but contemplated overruling the old man with his own plan. The Dark Lord wanted Granger dead, and this woman, whose life he had _saved, _wanted him dead. Granger had not been taken back to the woman because Severus had stolen the memory... because she had not directly spoke of it to him. There was a loophole in the Celare Vow she had taken.

Maybe he could force Granger to tell him aloud, and he would also be transported back to the Bones witch with her... Albus would say it put her in too much danger, but she fought half the Death Eaters with her little friends last year. What's one crazed adult witch to her and a Death Eater? Rolling his eyes at himself, he knew he had to be more clever than this.

He went to restore is pensieve, as he had left in such a hurry. Returning the spliced memory to the phial, he set it on a shelf with a few other memories he had collected over time. Now that he had contemplated Granger being asked to bring him to this witch, he knew that the witch likely had something prepared that prevented either of them from utilizing magic against her. Granger was supposed to bring him, incapacitated of sorts, he scoffed. _Any time she had succeeded in incapacitating anyone had been a fluke. Her friends all disarmed me at the same time and she couldn't know the centaurs would take Umbridge with them, despite her oft used 'half-breed' slur._

Still, the witch had proved herself to be somewhat more clever than her friends. He supposed he should wait for Albus' orders, as usual.

* * *

Hermione woke somewhat early as usual and threw on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans before going downstairs to make herself breakfast. As a morning person, she was wide awake as she sat down to read her morning edition of the prophet. Nothing outrageous aside from the usual potential 'You-Know-Who' sightings. She still believed the paper was rubbish, but thought better to keep an eye on the news.

She didn't expect her parents back for another week, so it made her jump when there was a soft rap at the door. _That can't possibly be Professor Snape again..._

Rising to answer, she pulled out her wand, just in case. As she pulled the door open slightly, she was given another shock to see her Headmaster standing on her parents' porch. Pulling the door open fully, he spoke first.

"Miss Granger, how are you?" He smiled at her, she had always felt strong trust for the Headmaster but knew she could not tell him all the events of last night, without risking her own safety.

"I am well sir, and you?" She was still in a small state of shock when she realized she was still allowing him to stand in full robes on her porch at 8:00 am.

"I am well Miss Granger, I believe I owe you a visit due to some rather interesting events that occurred last night if you wouldn't mind discussing a few matters with me of course."

"Of course sir, come in, I apologize." She backed away from the door frame and into the threshold, "Would you like some tea, sir?"

"That would be lovely, thank you."

The shock of having the Headmaster in her home began to settle, and she led him into the kitchen where she had been reading and having her quick breakfast. Busying herself to make tea, she spoke to him, "Sit anywhere you'd like sir." After he sat in one of the chairs at the small kitchen table they had, she spoke again, "My parents are out of town on a type of muggle retreat, but I've been doing fine sir... I know I left yesterday but it wasn't what Professor Snape thinks."

Professor Dumbledore held his hand up and she stopped at once, unsure of what he may say. "Miss Granger, I am going to ask you not to speak of anything that occurred last night with me. I am here to tell you specifically to never speak of those events _aloud _to anyone. However, I do want you to know that myself and Professor Snape are fully aware of the events that took place last night, including how you attained that specific memory."

She shifted her weight, gaping at him, "Professor, ho-," before she could get out another word he cut her off.

"Miss Granger it is extremely important that you do not speak aloud anything related to the event, lest the vow be broken. You will take this notebook. It is connected to Professor Snape in his personal notebook and will allow you to write to him regarding these events, rather than speak of them. Do you understand?"


End file.
